Automatic lowering-machine



A. D. HEYL. AUTOMATIC LOWERING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. I4, |919. 1,386,253. PatentedAug. 2,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i- A.D. HEYL. AUTOMATIC LOWERING. MACHINE- APPLICATION FILED NO.V.14, 1919. y 1 ,t3-86,253, Patented Aug. 2,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- C Arm/mrs. l

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

ALBERT D. HEYL, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

AUTOMATIC I4UWERINGvMiACI'IZINE.`

Application led November-14', 191921V Serial No. 338,047.

automat-ic loweringv machine, wherein a gig f or receptacle for the material is counterbalanced by'means-of a cable passing over a sheave and connected to a counterbalance or weight, the weight being heavy enough to `causethe-receptacle'when empty to be returnedfto the top of the machine.-

The lowering of thereceptacle is accomplished by the weight of thematerialtofbe lowered, which when placed in the receptacle,` overcomes the weight-of the counter balance. l

In practice', the points'at which the materialfis. received and dischargedV are variable, as .well las fixed, and therefore provision must be made to cause the receptacle to be brought to restat'thedesired point for receivingand at the desiredpoint for discharging the material.y

Furthermore,` in piling material, the point of discharge varies as vthe pile increases in height, while in unpiling'the material, the receiving point: will va-ryy as the height of the pile is decreased.

In accordance withmy present invention, I have devised a -movable pneumatic control# ling mechanismw to cushiony thei travel'and bring the g1g to rest at any desiredpoint.'

With the above` in view, my invention fur-y therA comprehends anovelconstruction of an automaticlowering machine provided withy means to automatically. bring thereceiving` receptacley to rest at yany desiredpoint in its travel, and'y novel means for adjus'tingfthev controlling mechanism, whereby the point of delivery may be varied in accordance with requirements met with in practice.

It further. consistsyof/a novel construction of a'shock absorbing andfcushioning device.

It further. consists of anovel .construction and arrangement'of vaplunger, novel .guiding means, anda Vnovel construction and arrangement of cushioning devices which maybe positioned at any desired'point.

Other novel features vof 'construction and advantage will hereinafter more clearly'appear in thedetailed description of theinvention.

Specication of Letters ,PatentV Patented Aug. 2, 1921. A

For the Vpurposeyof illustrating my -inven- Y tion, I have shown inthe accompanying draw-ings, a typicalembodiment of it, which in 'practicev will give satisfactory and reV liable results. It is, however, to be understood that thevvarious instrumentalities of which my invention consistscan be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organization of these instrumentalities as herein set forth.l Y

Figure l representsv 1n side elevation an automatic lowering machine Yembodying my invention. l y

Fig. 2 represents in sectional elevationa portion of the .controlling-.mechanism in the position Vthe parts appear when-the receiving receptacle is 4attheI lower end of its.H

travel. n

Fig. 3 representsl iny sectional elevationfa portion f of the controlling. mechanismV in the position'whichit assumes when'the receiving receptacle vis at the upper end of its travel. f

Fig.l 4 represents a-section on line 1 -4@ Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 5` represents a .section on line. l5--5 Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 represents in sectional elevation the receiving receptacle and its adjuncts, in theposition it assumeswhen discharging.

Hg; 7 represents in perspectiveI the counterbalance employed.` n Similar numeralsy of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a -loase or foundation from which vextends upwardly'the vertical guides 2 onwhichthe gig1 or receptacle` for the material'. 3 is: guided in the usual manner. The guides 2 at their upper ends are connected to the upper cross-bar 4, on which are mountedthe journals 5, whichl carry .thefsheave 6 around which passes a cable 7, onefend of which is connected to the giguor receptacle' 3, while its opposite end is connected to a counterbalance 8. 9 designates the stop bar whichf is --adjustably clamped to the guides 2 atany desired height above the ground. rlhis stopV bar carries the cylinders 10 with whichcooperate the pistons l11 which are carriedby a bar 12 securedin any desired manner to the bottom of the gig.

The constructionfof the counterbalance 8 is best seen in Fig. 7 from which itiwill be understood rthatiths counterhalance consistsV IIO of-a solid or apertured plunger 13 having at its upper end an eyelet towhich the cable 7 is connected. The plunger 13 is provided at its upper end with the packing rings 1 4 and at its lower end with the packing rings 15. Intermediate the ends of the plunger are located the laterally extending guideV plates 16, which are guided on Vthewebs 17 of the T-shaped lbar 18, which are supported on the foundation 1 and connected to the upper cross bar 4. The webs of the T bars 18 are provided at desired intervals with the 'apertures 19, in order that the upper cylinder 20 and the lower cylinder 21 may be positioned at any desired height.

Each cylinder 20 and 21 is constructed in 'a similar' Imanner, except that the upper cylinder 20 is apertured as at 22 in orderthat the cable 7 may pass therethrough. The cylinder 20 has-its upper end closed and its lower Vend opened and is provided intermediate-its ends with the ports 23. The cylinder 20 is provided with flanges 24, see Fig. 4, and these flanges 24 at each side are guided on theweb 19 of a vertical guide 18. Thewupper cylinder 2() is secured in its `adjusted position by means of fastening `devices 25, such as, for example, the bolts and nuts seen in Fig. 4. 'The lowercylinder 21 has its upper end open and its lower end* closed and is provided with ports 26, see more particularly Fig. 3. This Acylinder 21 is provided with flanges similar to those of the cylinder 20 andthe lower cylinder is securedin its adjusted position by means of fastening devices 27-passing through said flanges and apertures 19 in the vertical guides 18.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 6, it will be seen that at one side of the lower cushioning device standards 28` are provided, which have secured to them at their upper end a cross-bar 29, to which is secured a spring 30 by means of the straps 31, so that a plurality of bow-shaped springs are provided against which the pivoted bottom v32 of the gig 3 will strike when the gig reaches its position to discharge the material from it, it being readily understood from Fig.. 6 that as soon as the pivoted bottom 32 1s moved into the position shown 'in Fig. 6,'that the material thereon, such as ice, will Vbe discharged into the chute 33.

The weight of the counterbalance 8 is such that when the g'g is not loaded, it will automatically be moved upwardly. Y

Theoperation will now be readily understood, and is as follows Y The cylinder 20 is adjusted at such height on the vertical guides 18 y that the gig 3 when moved downwardly will stop at a desired height from the base l. The cylinder 21 isadjusted at such height that the gig 3 when unloaded will automatically return andcome to rest at a desired height.`

It will be seen that Vwhen the gig 3 is moved downwardly, the upper end of the plunger 8 which acts as a piston will enter the .upper cylinder 20, so that theair compressed by the upper piston will pass slowly out through'the ports 23. Vhen the gig 3 Vmoves upwardly, the plunger 8 moves downwardly and the piston formed by the packing 15 will pass into the air cylinder 21. t

vIt will be appa-rent that in accordance with my present invention, the points at which the material is received and discharged may vbe varied, inaccordance with inders 36" Vcarried' at the upper end of the gig 3. i i

It will'be understood from the foregoing that in accordance with my present invention, l employ apn'euma'tic controlfor automatically `stopping the gig at any desired point in its upward or downward travel. This automatic controlling mechanism may be employed to cooperate directly with the gigor it may be employed in such a manner that it forms a part of the counterbalance and it is therefore to be understood that one or the other of the pneumatic controlling devices may be dispensed with. The stop bar 9 which carries the cylinder 10 isadjustably clamped to the guides 2 and the :stop bar 34 is adjustably clamped to the guides 2 in a similar manner so that the gig will bebrought to rest at any desired point in its upward travel and at any desired point in its downward travel.

Itwill now be apparent that I'have devised a new and useful construction of an automatic lowering machine which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and Vwhile I have, in the present instance, shown and;

described a preferred embodiment thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, itis to be understood that such embodiment is susceptible of modification invarious particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. An automatic lowering machine, comprising a frame-work having gig guides, a

gig coperating with said guides, an upper and a lower dash pot for said g1g, a sheave carried by said frame-work, a cable connected with said g1g and passing over said sheave, a counterbalance comprising a plun-y ger having a piston head at its upper and lower end, one end of said counterbalance being connected to said cable, guide flanges on said counterbalance, vertical guides with which said flanges cooperate, an upper cylinder having one end closed and its other end open and provided with vents and adjustably secured to said guides, and a lower cylinder providedv th vents and having its upper end open and its lower end closed and adjustably secured to the counterbalance guides.

2. In an automatic lowering machine, a gig, a counterbalance operatively connected with it to raise it when unloaded, guide forming angle bars cooperating with said counterbalance, an upper cylinder, means to secure it in adjusted position on said angle bars, a lower cylinder, and means to secure it in adjusted position on said angle bars.

3. In an automatic lowering machine, a gig having a movable bottom, a counterbalance operative to raise the gig when it is unloaded, means to automatically actuate said bottom when the gig reaches the'limit of its downward travel, guiding means -or said counterbalance, and a cushioning device for said counterbalance adjustably secured to said means to arrest the counterbalance, and thereby" the downward movement of said gig, whereby the lower limit of travel of the gig can be varied to effect the automatic discharge of its load at any desired distance from its loading point.

ALBERT D. HEYL. 

